Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-06-02
TRONTON. MO- THURSDAY. JUNE z. 1887.

day as place of defense it was stron
one. When cannons threw shot mad
of mud or stone-samples of which ar
saown-it did not need a very thick o
strong wall to withstand their assault
Now 1t is simply preserved as an olt
landmark and as barracks for few
soldiers. Among the artillery is piec'
called "Mons Meg" one of the oldes
and largest, having bore of 10 inches
and in length about 16 feet; samples O
the old stone and clay shot belonging
to it are preserved near by. Queer
Mary's Chapel; the room where James
VI. of Scotland and I. of England was
born are shown. and the story told oil
how the little king, when but six weeks
old, was let down in q basket from q
window overlooking the precipice I75
feet high, and carried away to Sterling
that he might be educated in the prot
estant faith, and thus avoid the dissen-
tions and wars, and finally ignomini-
Gus deatL which befel his beautiful
and gifted but unfortunate mother.
From the castle all the principal
buildings in the old and new town can
be seen on clear day.
On inquiry as to the way to Holy
rood Palace 1 receive a reply which
seems to be stereotyped, as have had
the same ON many similar occasions:
"Right ahead as straight as you can
CO." This direction takes ne down q
very steep street through the old town.
On the way I ran across a placard,
"Camera Obscura, Open To-day" and
although this is an affair OF very SIM
pie construction have never happen
ed to see one before, so I climb to the
fifth story, and in darkened room for
a quarter of an hour watch the move
ments of city in miniature. Further
on pass buildings eight or ten stories
high, formerly the strongholds of Scot
tish chiefs, now the residences of the
poorest classes. The streets are mar
row-built SO they might more easily
be defended in time of war. Children
in rags and dirt, using the garbage in
the street for playthings, are found in
throngs. 1 have heard that Dublin of
all cities in Great Britain takes the
prize for wretchedness and squalor and
that no such destitution and poverty is
found elsewhere, but surely there is
enough,,of it in the old town part of Ed
inburgh. Coming Immediately from the
clean, wide streets, the fine buildings
and parks of the new town, the con-
trast was very great. No doubt the
ever present spirit shop has a great
deal to do with the poverty in all
these large cities as well as our own.
Near the foot of the street a crowd
had gathered to witness a fight, be-
tween two boys, for the privilege of at
taching horse to heavy dray for the
purpose of helping it up the hill. For
full ten minutes the little fellows
neither above twelve years of age
were at it, tooth and toenail, and no
one to interfere. until finally the little
fellow beat the big one off and was
heartily cheered by the crowd.
The Abbey and Palace of Holyrood is
an ancient building and one of the
most interesting in the history of Scot
land.
Founded by King David I. in the
eleventh century, it was the scene OF
the most important events in the lives
Of her kings and queens. The palace
is in good state OF preservation; rooms
always being kept in readiness fol
Queen Victoria and other members o
her family. The Abbey, which is at
tached to the Palace, and part OF the
same building, is ruin. An effort
was made some years ago to restore
the Abbey, but the architect employed
net being a competent one, in attempt
ing to put on stone roof as it was In
the original, miscalculated the strength
of the W alls, and the whole came tumb
ling down, making it much worse
ruin than before. On entering the Pal
ace the first room is the picture gallery
and banqueting hall, $50 feet in length
and "a feet wide. Portraits of ont
hundred kings are hung in this room
running back into the dim and distan
past more than a thousand years. A
the pictures were all painted by on
man in about 1855 there Is some doub
as to their accuracy.
Ascending the great staircase we en-
ter Lord Darnley's audience chamber
bed room and dressing-room. Also
the audience chamber, bedroom, &c
of Queen Mary. These rooms are sup
posed to be as near as possible in tn
same condition-allowing for the raw
ages of time-as they were when occu
pied by the unhappy queen in the siz
teenth century. The rooms are hun
with ancient tapestry and painting
In the queens bedroom stands wins
we are told, was the bed of Quee
Mary, the decayed hangings of whic
are of crimson damask, with green sill
fringes and tassels. The historical an
romantic associations connected wit
this room render it, undoubtedly, tt
most interesting apartment in SEQ
land; and the melancholy and fade
, aspect of the chamber itself is in a.